


Page By Page

by TinyTantei (56leon)



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Diary/Journal, Emotions, Fluff, Hakuba is in love, Kaito is a jerk, M/M, Things Work out in the End, Tsunderes, kind of?, probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-03
Updated: 2015-11-07
Packaged: 2018-04-29 17:22:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5136227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/56leon/pseuds/TinyTantei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaito "finds" a coded notebook belonging to none other than the detective in his class. The first word is his name, and so Kaito begins deciphering what he believes to be a journal full of evidence towards him being KID. However, things aren't always as they appear, and as he delves deeper into the heavily armed journal, he begins to learn more about Hakuba - and his feelings - than he initially thought. </p><p>/HakuKai/</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Entry One

**Author's Note:**

> Things I'm known for: starting chapter fics that I never really finish. C'est la vie.
> 
> Enjoy!

_**Entry one.** _

_**Kuroba has been more insufferable than usual. This past week alone, he has managed to get glitter all over the classroom at least five times. I don’t understand how Aoko-kun is able to put up with his nonsense all the time.** _

* * *

With a sigh, Kaito finished reading his translation of the single journal entry and set the book to the side. He was almost disappointed at how short it was, but he supposed that everybody had to start somewhere. Really, he was lucky enough to have gotten his hands on the boring brown moleskine in the first place - Hakuba wasn't paying attention, and the  ** _Kuroba_**  in black ink and all capital letters on the front cover peeking out of his backpack was enough to warrant him taking a glance - so he figured that he would have to suffer through a few days of nothing worth noting. A few days, instead of just one, because he was going to make it last as long as possible. It wasn’t every day that he managed to sneak past the famed British detective and steal something from under his nose, and he was going to savor the emotion for as long as possible.  
  
And really, with how heavily coded the entries were, he was pretty sure as long as possible was going to end up being a really long time. Hell, it was just the first entry, and he had to deal with double enigma encryption...in _French_. Just by flipping through the further pages, he could tell that the Brit got more complex with his codes as time went on. Really, was there sensitive information that had to be kept hidden? If so, then what? Surely anything so important as to have to be deciphered through pigpen twice and _then_ translated from an Italian Caesar shift _and_  run through a scytale was compromising enough to warrant a full investigation.  
  
_Especially_  if it was concerning himself.  
  
He stared at the book for a few more moments, only looking up when he heard a pounding on the door. It probably wasn't Aoko, considering she could just shout across her balcony, but that left relatively few other people who knew his address. The pounding only grew louder with time, and Kaito bit back a groan before resigning himself to personally finding out who was bothering him at such an ungodly time of night.  
  
A few minutes later, after he had shouted, “Coming!” and put something more decent on than a shirt and boxers, a look through the peephole revealed his guest. Kaito bit back a smirk at the sight of Hakuba standing on his porch, wringing his hands and occasionally pacing back and forth. So he had figured out that he was the one who had taken the journal, huh? Well, he wasn't going to give him the benefit of that knowledge. He  _couldn't,_  not when he hadn't even read it yet. “Why the hell are you here?” He finally yanked the door open with a carefully constructed scowl on his face. “It’s, like, almost midnight. Don’t you have somewhere better to be?”  
  
Almost immediately, Hakuba rounded on him, eyes wide with - panic? “Kuroba,” his voice was hoarse from a lack of breath, but still he ground out the words. “ _Where is my notebook?_ ”  
  
Yep, looked like he was right. Hakuba was looking for the thing. “Why would I know?” He put on his best facade of innocence. There was no point in teasing Hakuba into thinking that he actually had it; who knew what lengths the detective would go through to get his precious notes back. “Why, did you misplace it? God forbid the London genius ever make a mistake.”  
  
“It’s not  _funny,_ ” Hakuba snapped back, and Kaito could almost hear how much he was trying to restrain himself. Was he really that frazzled over just one book? Surely he made copies, or took photos, or something. Nothing that warranted _this_ kind of reaction. “Please, if you have it, just...just give it back. You don’t understand. It’s...really important.”  
  
And again, Kaito feigned innocence. “I’m telling you, I don’t know where your damn notebook is. I don’t have it.” The way Hakuba searched for any sign of a lie in his face made him almost flinch -  _almost,_ because actually flinching would have undoubtedly been enough of a tell for Hakuba to know. “Good luck finding it, or whatever.”  
  
He made to close the door, but a small voice -  _Hakuba's_  small voice - made him hesitate ever so slightly. “Please,” Hakuba repeated louder this time, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. “I...” he took a deep breath, and Kaito watched him, analyzing every movement he took. “I don’t care if you- you’ve already read it, haven’t you, god _knows_ you’d be able to- I just- please. Just...pretend that you haven’t, and give it back, and we can pretend...just.  _Please._ ”  
  
And at that point, Kaito knew that there was no way he was going to give it up so easily. What did Hakuba not want him to know? As insensitive as it was, he was itching to find out, and he knew that the only chance he had was already sitting in the palm of his hands. “I don’t know how many times I have to say this,” his voice was still casual, still unassuming, nothing to convey his interest in the journal he was in possession of, “but I don’t know anything about your stupid book. Now good night.” And with that, he finally closed the door on the detective, watching through the peephole as Hakuba paced the porch once, twice, thrice more, glancing up at the door every so often. It took him an entire three minutes to leave, and by that time, Kaito had the intense urge to open that notebook up once more and continue his decryptions.  
  
But he couldn’t. He wouldn’t. He wanted to keep it as long as possible, and maybe if he took long enough, Hakuba would genuinely believe that he actually lost it, that it hadn’t gotten stolen like he correctly assumed. Yeah. He would learn everything from that book, even the things that Hakuba didn’t want him to know, and then return it as if nothing happened. He would just have to wait until tomorrow night to continue with his plan.  
  
...  
  
_Well,_  he decided as he returned to his room and glanced at the unassuming yet surprisingly important moleskine, maybe he could bump it up to tomorrow _morning._


	2. Entry 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things have to go downhill before they go uphill.
> 
> NOTE: I've cemented the number of entries Saguru's notebook has, and thus the number of chapters in the fic. You'll probably notice that it has quite a lot of chapters.
> 
> .......yeah.
> 
> Enjoy!

**_Entry two._ **

**_Aoko-kun finally confided in me Kuroba-kun’s fear of fish. I find it ridiculous, considering Kuroba-kun’s dauntless demeanor, but I trust Aoko-kun enough to believe her. I wonder if it would be possible to use this fear against him at a heist someday. I would rather not - as intent as I am on arresting him, I do have morals - but the temptation is there._ **

* * *

 

Kaito almost regretted decoding the message, a pained feeling curdling in his stomach. Aoko, that _traitor._ And this was - he glanced at the date in the corner of the page - over a year ago! Sure, there were that heist at the aquarium four months ago, but he thought that was a fluke. That damn bastard had set it up like that, hadn't he?

He scowled and tossed the book onto his desk, not caring enough to keep it undamaged. And that wasn't even the _difficult_ code. If Hakubastard had managed to find anything _more_ incriminating...was there even anything that fit the description? He couldn't think of anything.

The thought was on his mind, even as he got ready for school and walked by himself. He needed to cool down; if he talked to Aoko before composing himself, there was no way he'd be able to stop himself for taking it out on her. He counted steps as he walked, trying not to think about how _betrayed_ he felt.

_One, two, three..._

_Aoko told Hakuba..._

_Four, five, six...._

_Hakuba knows I'm scared of f-f-finny things..._

Two thousand and twenty-two steps later, exactly, he found himself at the gate of Ekoda High, still angry but surprisingly _less_ angry than before. By the time he got to the classroom, he had simmered down enough to greet Aoko with his daily panty check.

It was still on his mind - he wasn't going to forget it so easily - but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that Hakuba hadn't actually used his fear against him very often. Within that past year...hell, the only time he could exactly pinpoint _was_ that heist four months ago.

And speaking of- where _was_ Hakuba? Kaito voiced his question to Aoko, who simply frowned. “Aoko doesn't know. Hakuba-kun called Aoko earlier, asking me to take his homework to him. He sounded sick, though. Aoko hopes he’s okay...”

“I'll take it,” he offered, at which Aoko glanced at him suspiciously. Really, he didn't blame her. After all, he wasn't exactly known for being the most charitable person ever. Plus, maybe he only wanted to see how miserable Hakuba was.

“Fine,” she finally conceded. “But don't do anything stupid, Bakaito.”

He snorted in return. “You really think I'd stoop so low?”

“Yes.”

“Shut up,” Kaito scowled at her, but said nothing as the teacher came in to start the lesson. As fun as it would have been to disrupt class, he was still stewing things over - a _very_ bad thing for a Kuroba to ever do. In his mind, his thoughts of Aoko and Hakuba intermingled with words like _ichthyophobia_ and _fish,_ sending goosebumps down his spine and making him feel emotions that he did not want to consider.

Hurt, of course, was the primary feeling. betrayal, at Aoko for telling Hakuba at all, as well as at Hakuba for having used it against him. Fear, at the thought of Hakuba using it _again_. Fear, a different flavor, for...

...for what?

He shook his head and scowled, instead focusing on the paper where he was doodling KID insignias. He didn’t need to worry about anything. If Hakuba tried anything again, he would make sure the detective learned not to mess with his fears.

* * *

Class ended far too late for Kaito’s liking, despite getting out at the regularly scheduled time. He just wanted to go drop off Hakuba’s stupid homework and go do other productive things, things that helped him move the night along so he was closer to decrypting another entry in the morning.

Upon further consideration, though, his impatience was unwarranted, considering the fact that he didn’t even know where Hakuba lived. As odd as it was to admit, he had never exactly paid the detective a personal visit, despite his temptation to booby-trap his house. In fact, he had no idea what Hakuba’s house even _looked_ like.

The mansion situated at the middle-of-nowhere (not really, though, Hakuba’s home was really only five blocks away from Kaito’s own) address that Aoko gave him, however, was something along the lines of what he was imagining. Wrought iron gates, white marble columns, a driveway that probably as long as a football field (okay, maybe not _that_ long, but still). Yeah, he wasn’t quite sure whether to have “called it” or not.

He easily hoisted himself over the wall separating the Hakuba estate from the rest of Japan and leisurely made his way down the path, eyeing the surroundings just in case there were any traps set up to discourage visitors. He soon decided that the area was safe, though. After all, Hakuba probably didn’t _get_ many visitors.

That thought was maybe just a little bit sadder than it should have been.

With that thought in mind, he knocked once, twice, thrice before he heard a muffled “ _Coming!_ ” from somewhere inside the house...mansion...thing. He waited all of three minutes before the door opened with a creak, revealing one Hakuba Saguru in all of his pajama’ed glory.

Well, Aoko wasn’t wrong. Hakuba didn’t just sound sick, he _looked_ sick, too. “Jesus christ,” were the first words out of Kaito’s mouth as he eyed the bags under Hakuba’s eyes and the sickly pallor of his face, “what bug did _you_ catch?”

It took Hakuba a moment to register Kaito standing in front of him, and as soon as he did, he-

-slammed the door shut.

Kaito waited patiently for a few more moments before the door opened again, Hakuba’s presence replaced by that of his caretaker. He was familiar with Baaya, having seen and observed her on several occasions as Hakuba was being driven to or from school, but he rarely talked to her personally. That was why he started slightly at the warm welcome he received from her. Surely Hakuba’s nanny, of all people, would know better than to trust him. “Hello, Kuroba-san. What brings you here today?”

“I’ve got homework,” he replied lamely, holding up a folder that contained Hakuba’s copy of the day’s notes and work. “Can I just- leave it with you, or something?” He tried to look past her to see where in the hell Hakuba even _went,_ but to no avail. The foyer seemed empty apart from the two of them.

Baaya chuckled slightly - she had a nice chuckle, one of those old woman laughs that made you feel so at ease - before stepping aside to let him in. “I’ll give it to Saguru-bocchama so he can look over it. He usually finishes his work quickly, so I can make you something to eat while you wait?”

Kaito contemplated denying her offer, but instead decided to hand over the folder. There was no harm in waiting around, and talking to Baaya might just reveal some facts about Hakuba that he didn’t know. “Thanks,” he muttered, still not sure how to act around her but more than willing to find out in order to gauge the best way to broach the topic of her young master. She took the work and disappeared into one of the side halls, and Kaito waited for her to return before continuing. She was barely gone for a minute or two, so, Kaito concluded, Hakuba’s room was most likely on the first floor, and not too far away from the door. He filed that information away for later use before returning his focus to Baaya. “Is he, you know, okay?”

The look in Baaya’s eye was indecipherable, surprising considering how easy Kaito could usually read others. “He’ll be fine,” she replied as she led him to the kitchen. “He’s just...worried, is all. Understandable, too. He lost something important to him.”

“Yeah, you don’t say,” Kaito complained. “He woke me up in the middle of the night, accusing me of stealing his stupid notebook.”

“You didn’t, did you?” Despite her casual voice, Kaito could tell that she was probing for answers, and he resisted the urge to huff in contempt. That was _his_ thing, damnit!

“Of course not. No matter what that ba- _he_ thinks,” he had to correct himself from calling Hakuba a bastard in front of his nanny, “I’m not a thief.”

“Of course not.” Her soothing voice made Kaito want to believe that she believed him, but he couldn’t. There was something else about her, something knowing, something...just something. He didn’t reply as she rummaged around the kitchen, looking for ingredients. “Do you like chocolate crepes?”

After a quick affirmative from Kaito, she efficiently turned the conversation away from Hakuba, and they talked about useless trivia and random facts. He described his day to her, while she did the same in return. By the time the crepes were done, Kaito was positive that he had enough information on her to easily disguise as her someday, should the need arise.

She served him the crepes and excused herself to go check on Hakuba’s progress, leaving Kaito to his own devices. While it was never a good idea to leave Kaito alone in a place that _interested_ him, he didn’t feel the need to go snooping on that particular day. He knew where Hakuba lived, after all, and could easily return whenever the detective _wasn’t_ at home. So instead, he all but inhaled the chocolate crepe - _how could he not, Baaya was an amazing cook_ \- and waited for Baaya to return with Hakuba’s completed homework.

What he didn’t expect was for Hakuba to enter the kitchen himself, still wearing his pajamas but looking at least a little bit better than before. Baaya trailed nervously behind him, but he didn’t seem to take much notice in her. “Did trigonometry help you get over your cold, or whatever?” Kaito tried to limit the sarcasm in his voice, but it was how he was used to dealing with Hakuba; even if he was feeling sick, he couldn’t exactly act like anything was different.

“Not really.” Hakuba’s voice was quiet and rough, probably from lack of sleep, and Kaito felt a pang of discomfort at the thought that it was _his_ fault before shoving the thought roughly to the side. It wasn’t like he could control how Hakuba reacted to things, right? “I expected Aoko-kun to be here, not...you.” He hesitated as if to say more, but decided against it and closed his mouth.

Kaito snorted. “She was busy, so I ended up having to do it.” It wasn’t out of character for him to lie, but he was confused even at himself _for_ lying. He had actually planned on making fun of how miserable Hakuba was, and he had yet to do so. Ugh, now he was starting to feel guilty for being such a prick, even if the one he was being a prick to kind of deserved it. “Is it all done? I can take it to school tomorrow. You know, if you’re not going.”

“That-” Hakuba’s voice cracked, and he cleared his throat in an attempt to salvage his pride. “That would be good.” The passing of the folder between the two of them was terse, quick and silent despite their previous exchange. “You didn’t have to, you know.”

“Aoko made me do it,” he retorted, stowing the folder into his backpack and turning towards the long hallway that led back to the front door. “Anyways, I should get going. I have heists to not-plan, because I’m not KID.”

There was a slight pause as Hakuba exhaled sharply - in any other context, Kaito would have mistaken it for a breathy laugh. “Of course,” he said, and Kaito thought that was the end of it, until Hakuba cleared his throat once more, as the thief was halfway down the hall. “Oh, and...Kuroba?”

He barely looked back, tilting his head ever so slightly to signify that he was listening. “What?”

“...thanks.”

Kaito didn’t respond, instead continuing to walk and not stopping until he was at the iron gates at the end of the estate. With one last look back at the mansion, he frowned and climbed up and over, the scowl on his face not going away as he trekked the five measly blocks back to his house. Idiot Hakuba for getting so worked up about a book that really hadn’t divulged much information so far. Idiot Hakuba for getting himself sick to the point of not being able to go to school.

...

_Idiot Kaito for even caring so much._


	3. Entry 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hakuba is a woobie, Kaito is suspicious, and Baaya is probably the best character.
> 
> Also, misunderstandings and assumptions abound. Things are slow going, but they'll get a bit more active in the next...few...chapters.
> 
> Enjoy!

**_Entry three._ **

**_The class is taking a trip to Osaka, and I have learned that I have luck beyond compare, sarcasm duly noted. I’m rooming with Kuroba-kun. While this would have been a great opportunity at any other time, KID is not hosting any heists during the week, either in Osaka or in Tokyo. It’s a pity, that the closest time I have to spend with him is when he has no reason to have any evidence on him._ **

* * *

Another day, another _useless_ entry. Honestly, Kaito was starting to wonder if there was anything worthwhile in here. When the betrayal from the prior entry had worn off, he had actually been curious to see what other tidbits Hakuba had managed to find, just to find out this morning that there was...well, _nothing._ Nothing even vaguely interesting, not a drop of information to be siphoned from the page.

“You are absolutely _useless,”_ he verbalized, scowling at the notebook as he closed it for the day. Ugh, and he’d have to wait until _tomorrow_ to read another one, too. He flicked his pen against the edge of his desk a few times before setting it beside the notebook, folding the paper containing his translation and putting it in a drawer with the other two he had saved. Just in time, too, as the doorbell signaled Aoko’s arrival.

Kaito grabbed his backpack before trudging downstairs to meet her at the door, surprised to see the sheepish smile on her face. “What did you do?” He asked suspiciously, at which she hummed.

“Nothing! Buuuut...” Oh, there was a _but_. Those were never any good. “I’m kind of busy today, and Hakuba-kun asked me to drop off his homework again.”

She paused, and Kaito raised an eyebrow as he motioned for her to move to the side, fishing his house key from his pocket. So that bastard wasn’t going to go to school _again?_ For a world-class detective, he was turning out to be such a slacker. “Wait.” He frowned, trying to remember what Aoko even did on Wednesdays. “What are you doing that’s making you so busy?”

“Going out with Keiko and Akako-chan,” she huffed. “It’s supposed to be a girls’ day out, since we haven’t hung out in so long. Can you please just give Hakuba-his own stuff again?”

He had half a mind to say no, to say that he was busy with something of his own - he wouldn’t be lying, he _had_ scheduled three heists within the month after all - but decided against it. It would be a way to kill time after school, and if he was lucky, Baaya would be able to make him something to eat again. “Fine,” he rolled his eyes to make his exasperation apparent, and didn’t even bother replying to the bright thank you he received in return. “Yeah, yeah. You owe me, though.”

“Aoko knows. Oh, how about ice cream tomorrow? Of course, Aoko’ll pay.”

“Sounds good.” Ugh, she knew him too well. Sometimes, he rued having a best friend who knew all his dirty little secrets, including his unhealthy love for chocolate ice cream. They chatted a bit as they walked, Kaito listening on as Aoko explained her plans for that afternoon, and she was in the middle of explaining the plot of the action movie they were going to watch when they got to class. Honestly, it sounded boring and exactly like Aoko’s cup of tea, so he was glad for the distraction that their classmates provided.

The teacher was surprised when it was Kaito who handed in Hakuba’s work, and undoubtedly suspicious if the look on her face was anything to go by, but he ignored it in favor of playing with his phone while class dragged on. He knew that she assumed he had somehow tampered with Hakuba’s homework, and if he had to be honest with himself, the temptation had been there, but his pranks were mostly harmless, and he had no doubt that Hakauba would have gotten back at him _terribly_ if Kaito had done anything to threaten his grade point average.

As the teacher droned on, his mind wandered to the notebook’s entry. If he remembered correctly, he hadn’t seen any notebook on Hakuba’s person during the trip, which meant that there probably weren’t any entries over the span of that week they were in Osaka. Which was also unfortunate, in Kaito’s eyes, because it meant that, just as Hakuba was unable to find any evidence towards Kaito being KID, Kaito was also unable to snoop into the private life of his most annoying detective.

Not that he would have been able to anyways, though, what with how hectic the class trip had been. There were five different trips to separate hot springs over the course of seven days, not to mention how many restaurants they sampled and the historical sites that Hakuba had dragged the four of them - Aoko, Akako and himself - to see. It had been rushed, and sloppy, and...

...fun? He supposed it could have been considered fun. As much as he pretended to loathe Hakuba, and as much as he truthfully loved to prank him, he considered Hakuba somewhat of a tumultuous acquaintance. While not quite as smart as him - nowhere _near_ as smart as him, in Kaito’s not-so-humble opinion - he was entertaining, and could hold his ground enough to provide Kaito with a challenge, unlike the rest of his class. So yeah, he could admit to having had fun on the class trip. He wouldn’t ever say it out loud, but at least he could say it to himself.

He was still replaying the events of that week when class ended, and Aoko poked him roughly in the side. “Are you okay?” She asked worriedly, holding the folder that would eventually find its way into Kaito’s backpack. “You’ve been really quiet, and everybody’s worried.”

“Worried? About me?” Kaito was surprised; was it that odd for him to be deep in thought?

“No, worried for their own sanities,” she deadpanned back, but still the worry showed on her face. “What are you thinking about? It can’t be too bad, right?” He shook his head, but didn’t reply as she followed him out to the shoe lockers. If she knew he was _reminiscing,_ of all things, he’d never hear the end of it. He was supposed to be a whimsical prankster who wasn’t affected by the past...or something.

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry, I’m not going to do anything crazy.” Aoko breathed, relief emanating from her, and Kaito almost felt offended at her reaction. _Almost._

“That’s good. Anyways, you remember where Hakuba-kun’s house is, right?” He raised an eyebrow, but she just laughed him off. “Just making sure. Well, Aoko needs to go catch up with Keiko and Akako-chan, so be safe!” And with that, she flounced off - flounced off, _really_ \- and left Kaito to traverse the few blocks to Hakuba’s house alone.

The walk felt shorter than before, because he knew the route better or because there were other things on his mind he wasn’t sure, but either way, he had jumped the gate before he knew it, and rang the doorbell, expecting Hakuba to answer the door in all of his pajama’ed glory again.

He was surprised, however, when the door opened to reveal the detective in a black v-neck and a pair of jeans. It wasn’t an odd outfit in and of itself, but on the usually prim and proper detective, it felt...out of place. Well, at least he looked better. He looked like death the day before, but the color had returned to his face, and it seemed as though a night’s sleep did wonders for the bags under his eyes. “Kuroba.” Hakuba addressed him with as much surprise as Kaito had initially felt. “You came.”

“Yeah. Aoko had _girl stuff_ to deal with, so I ended up doing it again.” He turned to fish through his backpack for the folder, almost missing the shock that passed across Hakuba’s face. “What? You thought I’d flake out or something?”

“No,” Hakuba backtracked quickly. “It’s nothing, never mind. Er...” He trailed off awkwardly. “I...am actually feeling well enough to return to school, so I don’t think you have to wait for me to finish.” He paused again, and if Kaito had thought he couldn’t have gotten more awkward, he would have been wrong. “Unless you would prefer to stay a while.”

Kaito stared at him blankly for a moment. “Are you...inviting me in?”

“Don’t sound so surprised,” Hakuba said with a frown, the beginnings of an annoyed eyetwitch visible in his expression. “It was a common courtesy, is all.”

And by common courtesy, Kaito assumed that he was expected to deny it...well, nobody ever said KID was known for being predictable. “I’d be glad to stay a while,” he said, gritting his teeth behind a smile. Hakuba’s mouth morphed into an ‘ _o_ ’ of surprise, but he stepped aside nonetheless, letting Kaito step over the threshold before closing the door behind him. “Would it be too cheesy to say that this place always looks bigger on the inside?”

“Yes.” Hakuba replied without so much as a pause, and he led Kaito back down the familiar hallway that ended in the kitchen. “Would you like anything?” He asked the question as soon as he opened the fridge, looking over to where Kaito was settling himself at the small table he sat at before. “I can’t claim to be quite as skilled as Baaya, but I can get by.”

Kaito frowned slightly, suspicious at how hospitable Hakuba was being, but said nothing on the matter, instead shrugging. “Do you have cereal? I’m pretty sure you can’t fuck _that_ up too badly.” Hakuba laughed slightly - the unamusement in his voice was far from subtle - and proceeded to pour two bowls of cereal. Surprisingly enough, one was some odd brand that looked like something too plain for Kaito to ever willingly pick up from the grocery store, while the other was Cocoa Puffs.

“You like chocolate, correct?” Kaito nodded as Hakuba looked at him, watching him pour milk into both bowls. “Good. I wasn’t sure if I remembered correctly or not.”

“How did you even know?” Kaito accused him as the bowl of Cocoa Puffs was placed in front of him. “And don’t tell me it’s part of your whole ‘ _Kaito is KID’_ schtick.”

He snorted lightly, settling in across the table from Kaito. “Nothing of the sort,” he muttered flippantly. “I simply remembered it. You seemed to have quite the chocolate addiction when we went to Osaka last year.”

Kaito almost had a heart attack right there, but kept his poker face in place as he chewed his first spoonful of cereal thoughtfully. There was no way Hakuba had meant that in any other way than just mentioning it. After all, even if Hakuba knew he had taken the notebook, there was no way he’d know that Kaito had just read that entry in particular. It was a coincidence, and nothing more. “I did,” he finally replied after swallowing. “Didn’t think you’d remember something so trivial as that, though.”

Hakuba didn’t reply immediately, instead letting the two of them eat cereal in stilted silence for a few moments before answering. “You’re not the only person in the world with eidetic memory, I hope you realize.”

“Never said I was,” Kaito replied smoothly. “But I didn’t know somebody with eidetic memory would ever have to keep so many notes.”

“It’s easier to keep dreams separate from reality that way,” Hakuba countered. “Most people can’t remember their dreams when they wake up, and have issues with trying to remember them. I have the opposite.” Kaito stared at him for a few moments, his expression indecipherable as he tried to figure out if there was some type of hidden meaning behind those words. Was it a threat? Was it a warning? Or was he just being paranoid? “Don’t mind it,” Hakuba finally said, visibly trying to keep himself from fidgeting under Kaito’s stare. “I was just ranting.”

“Right,” Kaito nodded slightly, but couldn’t find it in himself to believe Hakuba. Still, he ate his Cocoa Puffs silently as he watched Hakuba open the file and begin to survey its contents; five pages’ worth of notes, all in the teacher’s legible handwriting, and three pages’ worth of homework for him to complete on his own. Surprisingly - or rather unsurprisingly, Kaito didn’t expect anything less from the biracial genius - Hakuba skipped the notes and began working on the homework straight away, pen scratching against paper in a constant rhythm.

He was about halfway down the page when Baaya finally made her presence known. Kaito heard her shoes padding down the hall before he ever saw her face, but knew it was her from the short amount of time he spent with her the day before. “Bocchama,” she called out, “is your friend- oh.” She seemed surprised to see Kaito again, and he didn’t particularly blame her. “Kuroba-san, hello.”

He just waved at her as he spooned another serving of cereal into his mouth, and Hakuba looked up briefly before returning his attention to his homework. Baaya seemed to take that as a sign, because she moved to take the almost-untouched bowl from Hakuba’s side of the table and the almost-empty bowl from Kaito’s, emptying them both out in the sink before putting them in the dishwasher.

“Baaya-” Kaito made to interrupt her, but she tsk’ed at him, efficiently silencing him.

“You need something more substantial, Kuroba-san. And the same goes for you, Saguru-bocchama.” Kaito made a noise of contempt in the back of his throat, but didn’t argue. There was no way he was going to offend the only person in his life who could make crepes worth dying for. “I assume you’re staying for dinner?”

“Nah,” Kaito noticed the way Hakuba tensed ever so slightly, and denied the offer. He had probably intruded enough to make Hakuba uncomfortable anyways, which had been the intended goal. And while missing the opportunity to have more of Baaya’s cooking was upsetting, he doubted he was going to enjoy it if it was accompanied by strained silence. “I gotta get going, anyways.” He turned to Hakuba one last time, raising an eyebrow. “You sure you’re good for tomorrow?”

“I’m fine, Kuroba,” he said, still not looking up from his work. The tension seeped from his shoulders, and Kaito could feel the slightest pang of offense that Hakuba didn’t want him there as much as Kaito didn’t want to _be_ there. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

“I’m not worried about you,” Kaito scowled, standing up and grabbing his backpack. “I just don’t want to get a call from Aoko complaining that I didn’t do my job.” Hakuba said nothing in return, and so he took his leave, walking down that familiar hallway with Baaya following to see him off.

She didn’t speak until they were at the door, Kaito opening it before she said a word. “Kuroba-san, thank you for coming again.”

“I had to,” he shrugged. “Aoko was busy, so I ended up doing it again. It’s nothing big, really.”

There was a pause, before Baaya spoke again. “What do you mean, Nakamori-san was busy?”

“Just like I said,” he shrugged. “She was supposed to bring the stuff, but she had a girl’s day out or whatever, so she passed it on to me.”

He was surprised when Baaya laughed slightly, a withered hand reaching up to cover her mouth. “Pardon the impudence,” she said as soon as he giggle fit was over, “but I think you misunderstood. Saguru-bocchama called Nakamori-san today, but not to ask her to retrieve his work for the day.”

The confused sound that came out of Kaito’s mouth could only be described as, “Bluh?”

“No,” she elaborated. “I distinctly remember overhearing Bocchama ask Nakamori-san to ask _you_ to drop off his homework.” The blank look that Kaito was giving her must have amused her even more than the misunderstanding, and she opened the door wider for Kaito as she smiled. “Never you mind, Kuroba-san. You must be busy, so I won’t keep you any longer.”

As if being controlled by Baaya herself, Kaito found himself out on the doorstep without even realizing it, with the door closed firmly behind him. Hakuba asked for Kaito specifically? _Hakuba?_ That didn’t make any sense, unless...unless he knew that Kaito had the notebook. That had to be the only explanation. That was it. He was trying to wheedle it out of him.

Well, Kaito thought with a grimace, he wasn’t going to get it back so easily. In fact, maybe the next heist would be the _perfect_ opportunity to get back at him. He glanced at his watch, noting the time and date before smirking. Five days until the next one, which meant five more entries to parse through and figure out how to completely humiliate Hakuba.

...

If that was the way he wanted it, then the fight was on.


End file.
